Sports

Landmark

Christian School got some news that they never expected

to hear last week. Their football coach and former

athletic director, Bill Thorn, has decided to step down

from football. Thorn has been coaching football since

1955.

His first

coaching job was at Georgia Military Academy (now

Woodward Academy). Over the years, he has accumulated a

record of 186 wins, 83 losses and seven ties.

Thorn

started his career at Landmark in 1989. The War Eagles

were Region 7A runners up twice, in 1992 and 1997. They

made the second round of the state playoffs three times.

Thorn's record at Landmark was 64-45-1.

As coach of

the War Eagles, Thorn continually drilled his team with

the message that, "Given time, hard work beats

talent." Thorn's teams have always been full of hard

workers, with most players playing on both sides of the

ball for the entire game. It is not surprising that the

team plays "iron man" football - Thorn has

been known as the "Iron Man" to fans of running

for years. He will run his 30th consecutive Peachtree

Road Race this year.

With no

football this fall, Thorn will get some time to spend

with his wife of 45 years, Patty, and his four children

and six grandchildren. His name will always be synonymous

with coaching around here, though, because it was always

clear how much he enjoyed it. "I get a big kick out

of watching kids do things they didn't think they could

do," said Thorn.

Thorn isn't

completely done coaching, however. He will still be

coaching track at Landmark in the spring and he will

coach cross country this fall. As impressive as his

football record is, Landmark's boys' track team has won

the state championship four years in a row.

"This

had to be done at some point," Thorn said.

"This was the best time to do it for me. It might be

strange at first but I'll still be around. I've still got

lots to do."

The school

has not yet made a decision on Thorn's replacement as

football coach.

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